Faith

Friday, May 29, 2026Faith

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The prophecies warning against sin and exhorting hope did not fundamentally alter the trajectory of human infidelity. Even with the law and the summons to compassion and justice, generation after generation failed to trust in the providence of God.

Archbishop Richard G.
Henning

''I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)
There are so many ways in which the Old Testament prophetically reveals God's plan for the Christ. The above verse from Ezekiel is one of the more subtle. When Ezekiel proclaimed that prophecy, it is unlikely that the people hearing it connected it with the promise of the Messiah. The inspired Word of God always speaks on more than one level and across generations. This prophecy points to God's plan for the redemption of humanity through the Son's self-offering.
In our contemporary culture, people sometimes mistake prophecy for prediction. In the Scriptures, the prophets reveal the will of God to the faithful. Sometimes they speak of times or events to come, but in doing so, they seek to form and transform the hearts of those who receive the prophecy. Sometimes, this takes the form of warnings against sin and injustice and the evil results that will inevitably flow from the rejection of God and the temptation to violence. At other times, the message exhorts a suffering people to fidelity and hope, reminding them that the Lord does not abandon His Own.

There are other levels at which prophecy reveals the broader, deeper picture of God's accompaniment of His people. In the prophecy above, there is a promise that God is at work renewing His people. The prophecies warning against sin and exhorting hope did not fundamentally alter the trajectory of human infidelity. Even with the law and the summons to compassion and justice, generation after generation failed to trust in the providence of God. And so, the prophets began pointing to a way out of the trap. They began to prepare the people for the solution that would not fail -- the plan and action of the ever-faithful God. And so, Ezekiel speaks so poetically of that renewal of the heart that comes as a gift of the Lord.
It is only in light of the Christ event that we can grasp the breadth and depth of that promise. It is a very literal prophecy; God Himself will take on a heart of flesh. Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of the Father (Cf. Matt. 3:17), is that heart of flesh renewing humanity by the power of divine love and life-giving renewal. In this sense, the prophecy is deeply personal, for it points to the person of Jesus Christ and to the truth that we find our redemption in relationship with Him, not by our own actions or merit.
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was not inventing new iconography in her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Inspired in prayer and vision, she gave imagery and language to this deeply biblical truth of the humanity, compassion, and love of the Lord Jesus. The imagery of the heart aflame with love, alongside imagery of the Lord's passion, spoke powerfully in a time of suffering and despair. For three centuries, St. Margaret's revelation of, and summons to, the saving love of the heart of Christ has drawn disciples deeper into the mystery and inspired lives of devotion to God and compassion for others.
This year, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus will fall on June 12th. That week, the Bishops of the United States will join together in consecrating our nation to the Sacred Heart during this 250th anniversary of its independence. Next week, I would like to share ways by which we might consecrate our parishes, families, and hearts to the Lord. God longs to renew us and give us life. May we ever and always trust in His grace and adore His Sacred Heart.

- Archbishop Richard G. Henning is the Archbishop of Boston